1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hand operated collection devices and more particularly to such a device having a high storage capacity especially for the collection of dust and litter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hand operated collection devices are usually part of a combination, the includes a broom used in conjunction with the collector. As often seen in theaters and amusement parks the collector is essentially an open sided box with part of the cover removed and a long handle of wood, plastic or wire that allows the user to stand upright and sweep the dust and litter into the box. The handle is hinged at the connection with the box and positioned so that the closed end of the box drops when the collector is lifted from the floor. When the closed end drops the open end rises causing the litter to drop to the closed end of the box where it is retained until emptied by manually reversing the process. That is, open end down over a trash barrel and closed end up allowing the trash to fall out of the box.
One of the drawbacks of the typical dust collector is the proclivity for litter once collected to drop out of the collector as it begins to fill and is reused by placing on the floor. This leads to another disadvantage of the currently available collectors and that is their limited storage capacity. Existing collectors will handle and store litter measured in ounces, and lack the size and structure to collect, store and move larger and heavier quantities of litter.
U.S. Patents that show the state of the art with regard to dust and litter collectors include; U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,648 issued Aug. 17, 1982 to Mapp shows a special purpose dust pan for use with sliding glass doors, U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,728 issued Nov. 9, 1982 to Pravettone discloses a refuse container that has characteristics of a dust pan. A more conventional style of dust pan is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,611 issued Jan. 7, 1986 to Marttinen. A U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,734 to Kahan was issued Aug. 18, 1987 for a spill inhibiting dust pan. A U.S. Pat. No. Des. for a dust pan was issued Jan. 11, 1983 to Payne, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 267,592, disclosing open handle single piece construction.
The prior art is devoid of a high capacity dust and litter collector of the type and design disclosed and claimed herein. The prior art fails to anticipate the claimed invention.